Steering-gear.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

A. P. BRUSH.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1907.

ALANSON P. BRUSH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

STEERING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Application filed January 30, 1907. Serial no, 854,813.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALANSON P. BRUSH, a citizen of the United States,residin at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and tate of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Steering-Gear, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object a novel steering gear for automobilesand analogous vehicles, and it consists of the construction, combinationand arr-an ement of devices hereinafter described an claimed andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, a

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section showing parts in elevation. Fig.2 is an enlarged view in vertical section of portions of the mechanismshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line a:a:, Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is also a view in section on the line :z;:r, Fig. 2, with theortion it removed.

The ob ect of my invention is to provide an im roved steering gear ofsuperior quality an efficiency; to provide a steering gear wherein thewearing surfaces are exceptionally durable and easy to manufacture; toprovide a mechanism of this nature wherein the gears are incased in anoil chamber; to

provide a steering gear wherein through the ran e of action which willnormally be used for igh speed driving the action of the gear is muchslower than through the extreme ranges of action which can only beemployed for slow driving.

In carrying out my invention 0. represents a steering shaft and I) thecustomary hand wheel thereupon. Mounted upon this shaft is an eccentricc actuating an external gear (1 meshing with an internal gear e, theinterior periphery of the internal gear being of larger diameter thanthe external eriphery of the external gear, as shown. T e internalgearis provided with a shaft f provided with a customary steeringconnection or arm g. It will be observed that the shaft (1 is a drivingshaft, and that the shaft f is a driven shaft. The external gear d isprovided with an arm h. The eccentric c, the external gear (Z, and theinternal gear c, with the arm h, are inclosed in an oil tight case iwhich may be formed with a removable cap The arm IL is held fromrotation in any suitable manner,

as by means of a pin it engaging said arm with said case, the arm itbeing referably bifurcated to engage said pin. t will be evident that bythis construction the external gear d is held from turning and yet ispermitted to be carried around by the eccentric in constant mesh withthe internal gear, causing the rotation of the internal gear thereabout.

The hand wheel and related parts being in the position indicated in thedrawings, where the front wheels of the vehicle will be set straightahead, it will be apparent that the initial movement of the hand wheelin either direction from such normal position produces much lessdeviation of the front wheels than would an equal movement of the handwheel nearer the. extreme tuning range of the mechanism. The extremeposition, as is customary in such mechanisms, is usually aboutthree-fourths ofa revolution of the hand wheel in either direction fromthe position in which the front wheels of the vehicle are set straightahead. By an initial movement from a straight ahead position for, saythree-eighths of a turn of the hand wheel, the steering arm is shiftedfrom a straight ahead position about 15. If the steering wheel be turneda further three-eighths of a turn, the secondthree-eighths of a turnproduces a further variation or shifting of the steering arm of say 35,'11. e., the first one-half of an entire movement of the steering wheelin either direction from a straight ahead position producesapproximately one-half as much actual deviation of the steering arm froma straight ahead position as the last or extreme half of the movement ofthe steering wheel, the mechanism thus producing a steering gear ofsuperior durability and efficiency, as well as of superior excellencefor fast driving without sacrificing quickness of handling when drivingslow.

While for the sake of illustration conventional standards of movementhave been shown, it is obvious that the gear might be arranged so as toequal a standard gear for fast driving conditions, and'of superior quickhandling qualities for slow driving, or the mechanism might be arrangedto provide a portion of both advantages, being somewhat quickerfor'handling at slow speeds and somewhat slower and better for drivingat high s eeds. It will also be apparent from the awings, and the abovedescription, that the v amount of variation may be controlled, for

' by the eccentric, the frictional losses of the gear are exceptionallylow, and since an eccentric is an exceptionally efficient drivingmember, but not an efficient driven member, the reaction to the handwheel of road shocks will be very slight. The variation of velocity aredue to the engagement of the forked arm hor external gear with the pink.Through the medium of said arm and the position of the pin withreference to the center of the steer' shaft, the variations in velocityare contro ed.

It will be obvious that as the eccentric rotates it will move theexternal gear sidewise in mesh with the internal gear. Obviously alsothe variations above described in the operation of the mechanism may bemodified. For example, the amount of rotation of the hand wheelnecessary to reach the extreme point in either direction could be variedby varying the length of the lever g, or it might e varied by varyingthe relative diameters of the external and internal gears,

or the variation in velocities between the steering wheel and steeringrod or lever g might be modified by varying the position of the pin k orthe length of the arm h, as described. The arm h, for the sake ofconvenience, is preferably made separate from the external gear'in theform of a spider or plait and secured thereupon, as shown.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A steering mechanism comprising a steering shaft, a driven shaft inline with the steering shaft, an internal gear carried by the drivenshaft, an external gear in mesh with the internal gear, an eccentricmounted upon the steering shaft to actuate the external ear, and meansto hold the external gear om turning on its axis to cause the relativevelocities of the steering and driven shafts to vary.

2. A steering mechanism comprising a shaft, a driven shaft in line withthe the driving shaft, anlinternal gear carried by the driven shaft, anexternal gear upon said eccentric meshing with the internal gear, andmeans to hold the external gear from rotation, the internal diameter ofthe internal gear being greater than the external diameter of theexternal gear.

5. A steering mechanism comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft inline with the driving shaft, an internal gear carried by the drivenshaft, an external gear actuated by the driving shaft, an eccentricmounted upon the driving shaft to actuate the external gear to cause therelative velocities of the driving and driven shafts to vary, and an oilcase :located about said gearsand eccentric,

A steering mechanism comprising a 1v the driving shaft, an internalgearcarrie the driven shaft, an external gear upon said eccentric meshingwith the internal gear, means to hold the external gear-from rotation,and an inclosing oil case for said gears.

7. A steering mechanism comprising a driving and a driven shaft, aneccentric u on the driving shaft, an internal gear carried by the drivenshaft, an external gear upon said eccentric. meshing with the internalgear, means to hold the external gear from rotation, and an inclosingoil case for said gears, said external gear provided with an arm havinga fixed engagement with said case.

8.v A steering mechanism comprising a hand wheel, a hand wheel shaft, aneccentric mounted upon said shaft, an external gear tric mounted uponthe steering shaft to actuate the externa gear, and means to hold theexternal gear from turning on its axis to cause the relative velocitiesof the steering and driven shafts to vary, the external gear beingcarried around by the eccentric in constant mesh with the internal gearcausing the rotation of the internal gear thereabout.

10. A. steering mechanism comprisin a driving shaft, a driven shaftprovided a steering connection, and an-eccentric upon the driving shaftto cause the relative velocities of the driving and driven shafts tovary.

11. A steering mechanism comprising a steering shaft, a driven shaft inline with the and a driven shaft, an eccentric irpon steering shaftprovided with a steering connection, and means comprising an internalgear, an external gear'in mesh with the internal gear, and an eccentricwithin the'external gear to cause the relative velocities of thesteering and driven shafts to vary, the external gear being held fromturning on its axis.

' ALANSON P. BRUSH.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, ETHEL M. SPIELBUBG.

